Restrictive covenants were one of the reasons that people of color found it difficult to live in Kitsap County except in neighborhoods close to the Bremerton Naval Shipyard or on the two Tribal reservations. In 1970, the census counted only 1,451 Black residents. Asian Americans numbered 1,673; Indigenous Americans 913. The county population was 96% white. The tiny numbers speak to something more than racial segregation. Exclusion was the issue. And its history plays out today in homeownership rates, family wealth, and other effects of exclusion and inequality. The links below lead to three resources featuring different kinds of maps, lists, and information showing the neighborhoods impacted by racial restrictive covenants and the history of segregation and exclusion.
